Plumbers push for a bit of love

The Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association of WA has called on people to hug their ‘sanitation guardians’ on World Plumbing Day, March 11.

‘In WA, we turn on the tap or flush the toilet without thinking about it, but without good plumbing and sanitation, we would be at the mercy of water-related diseases,’ chief executive Murray Thomas said.

‘While drains, valves and S-bends may not be a popular topic of conversation, good sanitation is vital, especially considering that Western Australians each use a whopping 132,000 litres of water on average every year.’

Connolly resident Julie Stanley said she had asked Lakeside Plumbing and Gas plumber Phil Roggio to give advice on her bathroom renovation and hugged him for his efforts.

‘I generally don’t go around hugging the trades people that come to the house, but we are very grateful,’ she said. ‘They do a great job and he is very reliable.’

Mr Roggio said he wouldn’t normally expect hugs from clients, although he had recently received one from another couple when he finished plumbing their house.

‘It’s a pretty tough job that we do ” often we are amongst dirt and other yucky stuff,’ he said.

‘People wouldn’t put up their hand to go and clear out a blocked drain. We are responsible for the health of the nation and sanitation, and people do take it for granted that they turn on a tap and water comes out and goes down a drain.’

Mr Thomas said people could hug a plumber in real life or express appreciation on Twitter.